Built in 1847 and with no major alterations since 1910 this is one of only two pubs in the huge county of Northumberland currently on CAMRA's National Inventory of Pub Interiors of Outstanding Historic Interest. (See above.) An absolutely marvellous family-run gem of a pub and still "Berwick's Bonniest Boozer". Full of character and characters happily returned to the real ale fold in spring 2012. Well worth a visit but note does not open Tuesdays nor weekday lunchtimes. Also if travelling a long distance an advance telephone call could prove useful.
Historic Interest
Stained glass and screens along bar.
Three star - A pub interior of outstanding national historic importance
Listed status: II
This is a wonderful survival of a traditional small urban pub, said to date from 1767 (the 1849 datestone to the left refers only to now-demolished tenement buildings at the rear). The pub was refitted around 1910 and displays a very unusual layout. This features a partition, with iron stays attached to the ceiling, forming a corridor down the left-hand side, which leads to a tiny former off-sales in the middle of the pub. The public bar at the front is L-shaped and wood panelled;it retains its (presumably) 1910 bar counter, bar-back (with drawers and shelves held up by fluted pilasters), seating with bell-pushes and period fireplace with green tiles and touches of Art Nouveau-style detail. The front window has attractive stained glass. The rear room was a smoke room but is now used for pool and has wall panelling. This room has bell-pushes and an attractive brick and tile fireplace probably installed just before or after the Second World War.
Refitted in about 1910 with few alterations since. The layout, the result of a highly unusual partition, is, from CAMRA's considerable research, considered to be the only remaining example. The very rare partition with its iron stays attached to the ceiling forms a corridor down the left side that allowed those using the off-sales counter in the middle of the pub privacy from people in the bar. A door in the partition leads into the basic, panelled front bar, which was once two small rooms, it retains its original bar counter, original bar-back with drawers and shelves held up by fluted pilasters, bench seating with bell-pushes and Edwardian tiled fireplace. The off-sales area still retains its counter but the area is usually filled up with a cigarette machine and other clutter. The rear smoke room beyond an Edwardian glazed partition wall has a small continuation of the original bar back in the public bar, an old, but not original, fireplace and more recent bench seating.
Free Trade, Berwick upon Tweed
Source: National